Oar



oct. 21, 1941. w G, BQLTQN' 2,259,678

OAR

Filed May 27,"1940 Wle' Gfalam' I N VENTOR ATTO R N EYS Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATEN'I -oFFIcE OAR Walter G. Bolton, Foxboro, Mass. 'Application May'27, 1940, Serial No. 337,517

, Y 4 claims.v The invention relates to oars and more especially to racing oars.

. 'Ihe primary object of the invention is the provision of an oar of this character wherein the construction thereof is such as to assure maximum strength and a minimum of weight, thereby enabling such oar to be handled with the greatest of ease resulting in conserving a mans strength when rowing in conformity with the distance rowed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an oar of this character wherein the same is rigid so that it is impossible to twist while in use and in this way assuring grip by the blade upon the water when in the act of rowing a boat without any slippage in the grip.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an oar of this character wherein the construction thereof is novel in its entirety, resulting in maximum life to the same.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an oar of this character, which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and eicient in operation, being susceptible of easy handling, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more full described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view partly broken away of an oar constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View thereof, the same being partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates generally an oar constructed in accordance with the invention and comprises a blade end B, handle end C and an intermediate stem or shank D, respectively. The shank or stem is composed of spaced outer side strips 5 and an intermediate strip 6. The side strips 5 are carried throughout the length of the oar A and extend into the blade B and handle C thereof while the intermediate strip at the end next to the blade B meets a filler piece l, which constitutes, together with portions next thereto of the side strips 5, thel neck of the blade end B. Extending laterallyfrom this neck are the wing sections v8 which with the side strips 5 and the filler 1 make up the blade of the oar including the neck of said blade.

The side strips 5 have the grain thereof at substantially right angles tothe strain upon the oar when in use. 'I'he liller with the portions next thereto of the side strips 5 are adhesively joined with each other and likewise the wings 8 of the blade are adhesively joined with the portions of the side sections 5 next thereto. The side sections 5 at the handle end C have interposed between the same and the intermediate strip 6, filler pieces 9, these being adhesively joined with the said side strips and intermediate strip.

Between the blade end and handle end of the oar A at intervals throughout the length of the stem or shank B are interposed bulkheads I0 and II, respectively. The bulkheads II are preferably located at the reduced external point I2 of the stem or shank D for the tting of the button (not shown) engageable with the oar lock, the latter being `also not shown. Arranged at the lowermost side and at the uppermost side of the oar and coextensive with the stem or shank D and the handle end C are the lower and upper .covering strips I3 and I4, respectively, these being adhesively joined with the said side and intermediate strips 5 and 6. The strips I3 and I4 in the direction of the blade end B are tapered as at I5 and merge into the neck of the said blade end B.

The bulkheads I0 and I I create separated chambers I6 within the stem or shank D of the oar A and in this manner set up a senil-hollow characteristic to the oar A.

The oar A built as hereinbefore set forth is of maximum strength and is possessed of minimum weight. The life and durability of the oar is of considerable magnitude. The lightness in the weight of the oar enables the easy handling thereof and in this manner conserving a mans strength according to the distance rowed in the use of such oar.

The strips I3 and I4 have the grain thereof of slash grain characteristic to the strain upon the oar when in use.

The intermediate strip 6 can be solid or of a plurality of plies, the oar being made in its entirety from wood, preferably spruce.

What is claimed is:

1. vAn oar including a shank, a blade and a handle, comprising spaced side strips and a strip intermediate said side strips and spaced therestrips and meeting the intermediate strip, bulkk heads between the intermediate and side strips, Y Y

upper and lower facing strips joined to the intermediate and side strips, and lateral blade wings joined to the side strips at the outer faces thereof throughout the blade end.

3. An oar including a shank, a bladel and -a handle, comprising spaced side strips and a strip intermediate said side strips and spaced therefrom, a. ller at the handle end between the side strips and meeting the intermediate strip, bulkthe strain upon the oar.

heads between the intermediate and side strips, upper and lower facing strips joined to the intermediate and side strips, and lateral blade wings joined to the side strips at the outer faces thereof throughout the blade end, the side strips and facing strips being reduced exteriorly intermediate the handle and the blade for receiving an oar lock.

4. An oar including a shank, a blade and a handle, comprising spaced side strips and a strip intermediate said side strips and spaced therefrom, a ller at the handle end between the side strips and meeting the intermediate strip, bulkheads between the intermediate and side strips, upper and lower facing strips joined to the intermediate and side strips, and lateral blade wings joined to the side strips at the outer faces thereof throughout the blade, the side strips and fac- .ing strips being reduced exteriorly of the same for fitting an oar lock, said side strips having the grain thereof at substantially right angles to WALTER G. BOLTON. 

